New Portland restaurant announces chef

Chef Cara Stadler has announced that Ian Driscoll, a former chef de cuisine at Central Provisions, will be co-chef at her new restaurant Lio, which is scheduled to open in Portland this summer.

Stadler’s restaurant group, Eighty-Ate Hospitality, already owns Tao Yuan in Brunswick and Bao Bao Dumpling house in Portland. Lio will be located at 3 Spring St. within 6 City Center, and will focus as much on the wine it serves as the food.

The restaurant is a collaboration with the restaurant group’s director of operations and sommelier, Chris Peterman.

Driscoll left Central Provisions last year and Erik Hanks became that restaurant’s chef de cuisine in April 2016, according to chef/owner Chris Gould. Driscoll has also worked for Duckfat, Hugo’s and Eventide. He and Stadler will collaborate on developing Lio’s menu, and Driscoll will oversee its daily operations.

Driscoll is “super talented,” Stadler said in a statement.

“He approaches food differently than me, which is great,” she said. “… But we have the same underlying principle – respecting the product, an emphasis on what’s fresh, balance. And he just makes delicious food.”

Veteran Portland bartender Patrick McDonald will be bar director at all three restaurants.

Correction: This story was updated at 10:18 a.m. on March 4 to correct an inaccurate description of Ian Driscoll’s career timeline. He left Central Provisions last year.

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